Tutorial Proposal for MONAMI 2012

Operating Heterogeneous Wireless Networks with

SON (Self-Organizing Networks)
Dr. Henning Sanneck, Lars Christoph Schmelz
Objectives
Providing a comprehensive introduction to Self-Organizing Networks (SON)
applied to 3GPP mobile radio networks
Addressing both network optimization and operation (configuration,
troubleshooting, coordination) processes and how they can be improved with SON
functions
Giving the latest state-of-the-art in applying SON concepts to Heterogeneous
Networks (multi-RAT, multi-cell layer, multi-vendor) contributing to address the
traffic explosion challenge in mobile networks
Intended Audience
Researchers in mobile network management automation, Future Internet
management, autonomic networking, cognitive radio / cognitive networks
Engineers working in network operation and optimization at operators and network
equipment manufacturers
PhD and master students in the area of communication networks
Why the proposed topic is interesting and timely:
Self-Organizing Networks represent a paradigm shift in the Operation, Administration and
Management of large mobile radio networks. While the classical OAM approach
incorporates configuration, performance and fault management with the human operator
in-the-loop, SON aims at closed control loops for these management processes. This
leads to changes in the way how a mobile network is operated: from a manual, rather long-
term analysis of network status and performance (and the subsequent determination of
corresponding configuration changes) towards the definition of how the individual closed
control loops and their aggregation shall operate. This allows to reflect the current network
setup and status as well as the operators requirements on network performance, robustness
and resilience, and (last but not least) the operation and implementation costs.
Prerequisite Knowledge of Audience
Basic knowledge on mobile networks, in particular 3GPP, and network management
concepts.
Abstract
Due to the decreasing revenue per user, mobile network operators are keen to reduce
operational expenses in network deployment and operation. However, at the same time the
dramatic increase of traffic in their networks requires new radio access technologies (RAT)
like LTE to be deployed, in addition to existing 2G and 3G networks. To extend capacity as
well as coverage (incl. indoor), traditional macro networks are complemented by smaller
cell layers (micro, pico) down to femto cells, where basestations are even deployed to user's
premises. LTE relays as a new type of network elements complement this infrastructure
enabling more flexibility in providing the required backhaul.
All these measures result in on one hand efficiently addressing the bandwidth challenge,
while on the other hand increasing network complexity counter-acting the initial desire to
cut costs. Complexity comes simply from the increased number of network elements, but
also from the requirement to combine different networks (2G/3G/LTE, femto), including
legacy ones.
Self-Organizing Networks (SON) concepts have been proposed already for 3G and LTE
macro networks to facilitate deployment (self-configuration), optimization and
troubleshooting (self-healing). To cope with the effects of the "Heterogeneous Networks"
(HetNet) scenario described above, SON mechanisms are required to automate the network
operation, thereby improving the operator's cost position.
After introducing some basics on HetNet and SON respectively, the tutorial describes SON
functions for network implementation and ongoing automatic configuration. While often
SON is limited to optimization concepts, the tutorial specifically also addresses operational
concepts like SON-supported troubleshooting and coordinating different SON function
instances in a system.
Across those topics, the specific challenges of multi-vendor HetNets, and how those
challenges are addressed by 3GPP standardization, are explained.
Outline
LTE / HetNet / Network Management Basics
Introduction to Self-Organising Networks
Self-Configuration:
o Auto-connectivity and commissioning (incl. multi-vendor and LTE-A
relay, with demo)
o Dynamic Radio Configuration: (Multi-vendor) Physical Cell ID (PCI) and
Automatic Neighbour Relationship (ANR) setup
Self-Optimization: Mobility Robustness Optimization
Self-Healing: Cell Degradation Detection and Diagnosis (incl. demo)
SON Coordination
Integrated SON demo: LTE radio network simulation, centralized self-optimization,
SON coordination
Resume of Presenters
Henning Sanneck
Dr. Henning Sanneck studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Erlangen-
Nuremberg, Germany. After receiving his Diploma in 1995, he joined GMD Fokus (now
part of Fraunhofer) in Berlin. At Fokus, he worked as a Researcher in the area of Quality-
of-Service (QoS) support for Real-Time Services in IP-based networks. He received his
Dr.-Ing. (PhD) degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of
Berlin with a thesis on Voice over IP QoS in 2000.
In 2001 he joined Siemens - Mobile Networks in Munich, working as a Senior Research
Engineer on cross-layer design for IP-based Radio Access Networks (RANs), Software
Technologies for Mobile Networks and Technology Management. He became a Project
Manager for technology innovation projects in the area of Network Management for 3G
and beyond RANs in 2003, working on Basestation Auto-Configuration and Real-Time
Performance Management concepts and their realisation as product features. Since the
formation of Nokia Siemens Networks in 2007 he is a Research Manager heading the
"Network Management Automation" team.
Dr. Sanneck has published 40 papers in refereed conferences and journals and has more
than 15 patents granted or pending. He has co-edited and authored the book LTE Self-
Organising Networks published by Wiley in 2011.
E-mail: henning.sanneck@nsn.com
Phone: +49-175-2654813

Lars Christoph Schmelz
Lars Christoph Schmelz received his Dipl.-Ing. degree in Electrical Engineering from the
Technische Universitt Mnchen in 2000, with specialization in Communications
Engineering and Information Technology. He started working as research engineer for
Siemens Information & Communication Mobile Networks in 2001, working on concepts
and demonstrator implementations for radio access networks, namely on 3G radio resource
management and SIP / Mobile IP-based service architectures for radio access. In 2003, Lars
Christoph started to establish OAM as key research topic, working in the following years
on various projects with a focus on wireless networks self-management and management
automation. He participated in the EU FP7 project SOCRATES, leading the work package
on self-configuration and self-healing. The current work focus within Nokia Siemens
Networks Research is on end-to-end traffic steering in 3G and LTE networks, and on SON
coordination. He has been involved of the successful preparation of the forthcoming FP7
call 8 project SEMAFOUR on advanced SON concepts.
Lars Christoph has contributed to the books LTE Self-Organising Networks (SON) and
Self-Organizing Networks: Self-Planning, Self-Optimization and Self-Healing for GSM,
UMTS and LTE both published by Wiley in 2011.
E-mail: christoph.schmelz@nsn.com
Affiliation of both presenters:
Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Co. KG
Research - Network Management and Automation
St.-Martin-Str. 76, 81541 Mnchen, Germany

Recent Tutorials, Presentations, co-organized Events on
the topic:

Panel participation on future SON at Informas SON conference, London, 2011
Keynote on Self-Organizing Heterogeneous Wireless Networks at Broadband
Convergence Networks Workshop / IEEE IM, Dublin, 2011
Co-organization of the 1
st
International Workshop on Self-Organizing Networks
co-located with IEEE VTC Spring, Budapest, 2011
Co-organization of the final dissemination workshop for the FP7 EU project
SOCRATES, Karlsruhe, 2011
Invited talk on Dynamic Radio Configuration of Self-Organizing Base Stations
for Special Session on SON at the 7th International Symposium on Wireless
Communication Systems, York, 2010.
Instructor for SON masterclass workshop at Informas 3G network optimization
conference, Frankfurt 2010
Invited talk on Mobile Network Management at TU Munich, 2010

Recent Publications on the topic:

S. Hmlinen, H. Sanneck, C. Sartori (eds.), LTE Self-Organizing Networks
(SON) - Network Management Automation for Operational Efficiency, Wiley,
ISBN 978-1-119-97067-5, December 2011.
P. Szilgyi, T. Bandh, H. Sanneck, Multi-vendor Physical Cell ID allocation,
submitted to MONAMI 2012, Hamburg, September 2012.
R. Romeikat, B. Bauer, H. Sanneck, Automated Refinement of Policies for Network
Management. Asia-Pacific Conference on Communications, October 2011
R. Romeikat, B. Bauer, H. Sanneck, Modeling of Domain-Specific ECA Policies, in
International Conference on Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering,
Miami Beach, USA, J uly 2011.
C. Schmelz et al., A Coordination Framework for Self-organisation in LTE
Networks, in IFIP / IEEE Symposium on Integrated Management, Dublin, Ireland,
May 2011.
T. Bandh, R. Romeikat, H. Sanneck, H. Tang, Policy-based coordination and
management of Self-Organizing-Network (SON) Functions, in IFIP / IEEE
Symposium on Integrated Management, Dublin, Ireland, May 2011.
P. Szilgyi, H. Sanneck, LTE Relay Self-Configuration, in IFIP / IEEE Symposium
on Integrated Management, Dublin, Ireland, May 2011.
T. Bandh, H. Sanneck, Automatic Site Identification and Hardware-to-Site-Mapping
for Base Station Self-configuration, in IEEE International Workshop on Self-
Organizing Networks, Budapest, Hungary, May 2011.
T. Bandh, H. Sanneck, R. Romeikat, An Experimental System for SON Function
Coordination, in IEEE International Workshop on Self-Organizing Networks,
Budapest, Hungary, May 2011.
H. Sanneck, C. Schmelz, T. Bandh, R. Romeikat, G. Carle, B. Bauer, Policy-driven
Workflows for Mobile Network Management Automation, in 6th International
Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing Conference, Caen, France, J une
2010.
H. Sanneck, Y. Bouwen, E. Troch, Context based Configuration Management of
Plug & Play LTE Base Stations, in IEEE/IFIP Network Operations and
Management Symposium, Osaka, J apan, April 2010.
T. Bandh, R. Romeikat, H. Sanneck, C. Schmelz, B. Bauer, G. Carle, Optimized
Network Configuration Parameter Assignment Based on Graph Coloring, in
IEEE/IFIP Network Operations and Management Symposium, Osaka, J apan, April
2010.